Administrative divisions of New Caledonia facts for kids

New Caledonia is a special group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. It's part of France, but it has its own unique government system. Think of it like a big puzzle! New Caledonia is split into three main parts called provinces. These provinces are then divided into 33 smaller areas called communes, which are like towns or local districts. There are also eight special tribal areas for the native Kanak people.

Provinces: New Caledonia's Main Regions

New Caledonia is divided into three main regions called provinces. The North and South Provinces are on the main island. The Loyalty Islands Province is a group of islands off the main coast.

Each province has its own flag and symbol. They also have a lot of power to make decisions. They handle things that are not decided by the main New Caledonia government or the French government in Paris. The borders and powers of these provinces were set up in 1988. This happened as part of an important agreement called the Matignon Accords.

The Loyalty Islands Province has its main office in Wé, which is in the commune of Lifou. The North Province's main office is in Koné. The South Province's main office is in Nouméa.

Province Name	Capital City	Population (2019)
Loyalty Islands Province	Lifou	18,353
North Province	Koné	49,910
South Province	Nouméa	203,144

Communes: Local Towns and Districts

This map shows the different administrative divisions of New Caledonia. The colors show the three provinces:      North Province,      South Province, and      Loyalty Islands Province. The numbers on the map match the list of communes below.

New Caledonia is also divided into 33 smaller areas called communes. These are like local towns or districts. Most of these communes existed before the provinces were created. One commune, Poya, is actually split between the two main island provinces. This split was also part of the 1988 Matignon Accords.

Here is a list of the communes in New Caledonia:

¹This commune is located partly in two provinces.

Other Important Divisions

This image shows how New Caledonia's administrative divisions are organized, like a triangle.

Tribal Areas (aires coutumières)

There's another special way New Caledonia is divided for the Kanak people. These are called aires coutumières, or "tribal areas." There are eight of these areas. They focus on the customs and traditions of the Kanak tribes. These areas mostly follow where different indigenous languages are spoken or where tribes had alliances before the French arrived.

Subdivisions

There are also three "subdivisions." These have the same names and borders as the three provinces. However, the commune of Poya is fully within the North Subdivision. Unlike the provinces, which have their own leaders and assemblies, subdivisions are more like local offices of the French central government. They have a Deputy Commissioner who works there, similar to a local government official in Metropolitan France.

The main towns for these subdivisions are usually the same as the provincial capitals. But for the South Subdivision, the main town is La Foa. This is different from the South Province's capital, which is Nouméa. This choice was made to help balance the importance of Nouméa, which is a very large city in New Caledonia.